The 2018 IX Estate shows a slightly more savory side of the property, with cool hints of menthol, dried sage, loamy earth and black olive bringing complexity and balance to the bold notes of black cherries and cassis. Full-bodied and concentrated, with a rich, creamy texture and lush, mocha-tinged finish, this is a complex, balanced wine with a great future ahead of it.

The 2018 IX Estate is dense, powerful and brooding. Inky dark fruit, gravel, smoke, spice infuse the IX Estate with tremendous character. All of the savory intensity that is typical of this site comes through, and yet the richness of the fruit is palpable. Readers will find an exciting, viscerally thrilling wine that hits all the right notes. In 2018, the IX Estate is truly lights out. It is also the darkest and most concentrated of the three Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

There's voluptuous black currant fruit on the nose, yet it's still reserved and somehwat shy. The palate has ample presence and polish, with a suave texture, but it lacks a little energy and drive at present, giving a finish that's solid and dense and quite tannic. But it's clearly youthful and should become more harmonious with more bottle age.

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot from the hills overlooking Oakville and Lake Hennessey, at 1,100–1,400 ft. Approximately 65% new oak (mainly Taransaud, with Sylvain M+ toast being the remainder).  They have been gradually reducing the percentage of new oak since 2010. Total production 1,650 cases. Very dark crimson with a bit of garnet at the rim. Dense colour with opaque core. Deep, rich, complex, deep in black fruit but also a more savoury, tarry quality. Woodland and spice. Extremely concentrated and extremely thickly textured. Knife and fork needed here and nowhere near ready to drink. Opens up to a bloody/iron note. Alcohol is high but does not stand out. This is huge, dark and charry/savoury on the finish. What I like about it is the lack of any sort of sweetness, either fruit or oak. Long, thick, deep. There's just a touch of the Cabernet Franc freshness but fresh is not the word for this wine even if it is not overripe. It is just madly concentrated. (JH)

The 2018 IX Estate is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal earth and mineral scents of iron ore, tilled soil, forest floor and truffles with ripe red and black currants, kirsch, Black Forest cake and mulberries plus nuances of tar, lilacs and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and exhilarating freshness supporting the taut, muscular fruit. Mineral and savory accents linger long into the epic finish. A thought-provoking, pensive, mesmerizing wine.

LPB, robertparker.com, Nov 2020

Another perfect wine, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon IX Estate is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, all from the estate on Pritchard Hill. A monster of a wine that needs serious bottle age, it reveals a dense purple hue as well as a mineral-drenched bouquet of pure crème de cassis, charcoal, spring flowers, tobacco, and earth. Just incredible on the palate, it’s full-bodied and flawlessly balanced, with remarkable purity and a finish that won’t quit. Cabernet – or red wine for that matter – doesn’t get any better! It needs a solid 5-7 years of bottle age. but this legendary wine will see its 50th birthday in fine form.